The results are in and after 35,000 votes were counted… once again I’m a finalist in the Bay Area A-List, taking 3rd place as Best Local Blogger! Thank you to all who voted for me. The winner this year was Lauren Lives Healthy, “a little bit of everything: recipes, workouts, fit fashion, weight loss inspiration, and everything in between.” 2nd place went to Paint Pens Collective, “a national underground art community.” Best Local Blogger is part of the Local Flavor category, a cool catch-all that includes the likes of ArtSpan for Best Charity, and Alice Radio’s Sarah and Vinnie for Best Radio Personality.

Where can you see the great art I write about? Much of it is in mixed-use spaces like cafes and art bars, but for traditional venues, Quent Cordair Fine Art reclaimed the title of Best Art Gallery, with ArtHaus in the #2 spot. One of my personal favorites whose shows I’ve reviewed many times is Modern Eden, and they made the finalist list at #3, while Alameda’s own Jingletown Art Studios had a strong showing at #4.

For the third year in a row the de Young was named Best Museum, with the California Academy of Sciences, Legion of Honor, and Oakland Museum of California at #2, 3, and 4, respectively.

In other Arts-related categories, Flax Art & Design is the Best Arts and Crafts store, and newcomer Tiger’s Blood Social Club in Alameda is the best place to get inked and/or tatted. Photographers were broken down into several sub-categories. The best of the best? Anne Daiva takes really cool pics of kids, and The Furrtographer will shoot your pets. Angela Lang is not only the Best Portrait Photographer, but the 2nd best Children’s Photographer and in the Top 10 for Wedding Photography as well, but voters say to get your nuptials photographed by Apollo Fotografie and filmed by Matter Video.

As always, when you’re done, get your works of art framed by Creative Framing & Gallery in Oakland, Best Custom Framing shop for 5 years and counting.